ESPN insider Dan Graziano rolled out his annual bold predictions column this week, going team by team across the league to highlight tidbits from his reporting that could catch fans off guard once the season gets underway. When it came to the Browns, his prediction centered on an offense that remains overshadowed by uncertainty at quarterback, yet features 2 rookie wide receivers who have quietly turned heads all summer. Graziano’s pick suggests Cleveland’s receiving room could look drastically different than expected once the games start counting.
Graziano laid out why he believes Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion are poised for immediate impact.
“Don’t be surprised if… Cleveland’s first and second leading receivers are rookies. Who knows how productive this passing offense can even be, given the grim reality of the Browns’ quarterback situation. But to the extent that anyone’s catching passes in Cleveland, rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion look like they’ll be important parts of the offense right away. The rookie WRs have been camp standouts, and I don’t believe coach Todd Monken will hesitate to ask a lot of them right away,” Graziano wrote.
Concepcion’s summer has already produced rave reviews. The rookie earned the Maurice Bassett Award, an honor Cleveland media hands out annually to the top rookie performer coming out of training camp. Known for his elusiveness as a route runner and ability to create yardage after the catch, Concepcion profiles as exactly the type of player who could thrive if Cleveland finds ways to get him the ball in space, regardless of who is throwing it.
Boston brings a different but equally valuable skill set to the equation. At 6-foot-4, he fits the mold of a traditional receiver capable of winning contested catches on the boundary using his size and physicality, a contrast to Concepcion’s shiftier profile underneath. Together, the 2 rookies give Monken a legitimately versatile pair of weapons to build around, something that matters even more given the questions still surrounding Cleveland’s quarterback situation entering the season.
Jerry Jeudy remains part of the room as an established veteran option, Isaiah Bond continues to factor into Cleveland’s plans, and second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. offers Monken another versatile piece to move around the formation.
Concepcion and Boston have already given the coaching staff plenty of reasons for confidence. Regardless of what happens under center for the Browns this season, these 2 first year receivers could surprise many people.
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